Yuletide in the Village
by Gale's Magic Fingers
Summary: Christmas drabbles for the people of Veritaville. Progressive. Assorted pairings. ::drabble series::
1. Kaleidoscope Flowers

She met him in the usual place: a tiny place just inside the Labyrinth, with their eyes on the Delta on the propped-open passage at all times, if not on each other. As she stumbles through the drainage gate on Fifth, she quickly ignites the torch at the top of the Labyrinth entrance.

She sees him waiting barely five feet away from her. God knows how long he had been down here; she just remembers meeting him in the tunnels of this very confusing maze at age fourteen and noticing just how beautiful he is. Now three years later, she is practically a woman, and she knows what she wants. Too bad he's supposed to be dead, so their visits are restricted to the place where only lost souls go as a last resort. From one of his tales, she takes it that he's taken residence at the farm she had visited years ago, tending to Apollo's sacred cows.

As soon as her feet touch the ground, she is in his embrace, and she doesn't think she's ever been closer to heaven than she is now. He whispers silent '_I missed yous' _into her hair as her hands run up his back and suddenly his lips are on her neck, and _gods,_ she just wants to stay there forever, and pretend to be Mrs. Ethan Nakamura forever. But too soon, her phone is ringing its alarm and she is pulling away, and he is holding her back.

Sadly, she unwraps his arms from around her waist, and she climbs back up the ladder, blinded by the light of the real world. She turns to wave goodbye and sees a frown settled firmly on his face. She blows him a kiss before heaving himself out of the rusty hole, with plans to be back at the same exact place at the same exact time for the next week.

But that would be the last time that Rachel Elizabeth Dare would ever grace Ethan Nakamura's presence, because it turns out the Sun God does not appreciate being lied to. He is waiting outside on the street and looking disapproving. She knows she is in trouble as he turns and walks away, iPod buds in his ears as he walks away from her. She can almost feels the holiness leaving her body and he walks out of her life, and she can't bring herself to go back into the comforting arms of Ethan, because that part of her life is over, Apollo has proven that.

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**Thanks to Theia 47 and xXIceshadowXx for betaing. :D**

**Merry Christmas, Kal!**


	2. Aphrodite's Dove

He is a son of death. She is a daughter of the sky. He rules beneath the earth, she rules high above it—screaming, screaming her head off because of the acrophobia. The ground is where they meet; in hidden caves and on islands long forgotten by the gods. As they hold the other in their arms and whisper sweet nothings into their ears, they are always worrying. Always praying to some other god that's not Greek that their parents will forget this tiny piece of the world long enough for their rendezvous to take place.

They return to Camp just what everyone expects them to be— the chilly daughter of the Sky God and the depressed son of the God of the Dead. They both sleep alone in their cabins — because siblings are _so_ overrated, right? — and stay where they're supposed to be. Because when it comes down to it, they're just what everyone thinks. Thalia Grace and Nico di Angelo hate each other, really. They were simply the only other people in the world who knew what the other was going through.

Obviously, Nico hadn't been stuck as a tree and Thalia hadn't been stuck in a hotel, but it was close enough. So a week later, when they are sneaking back through the Camp borders on the back of Mrs. O'Leary, she can't help but think what would happen if anyone knew about her relationship. Because honestly, she thinks she's falling for the kid with the skull ring, and she doesn't know how much longer she can pretend to not be able to stand him.

Then again, she would prefer her boyfriend to not be fried by her father and she quite liked living above ground, thank you very much. So as she steals one last kiss from the Ghost King, she kind of feels regret, because she knew she would call it off tomorrow, and maybe, _just_ maybe he'd grow to hate her like he was always supposed to.

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**Thanks to Theia 47 and xXIceshadowXx for betaing. :D**

**For Cara. Merry Christmas!**


	3. Theia 47

He is a star. It comes with the "Child of Apollo" status. He doesn't hesitate to make his presence known, although he doesn't really need it. He shines so bright their little camp almost doesn't need the sun.

She is a loner. She spends the vast majority of her time sitting in a dark cabin with her brother, reading. Like most children of Hades, she is dark and boring, not to mention morbid. She'd rather hang with her brother than a cute boy.

They are exact opposites with polar differences.

Together, they are a thing of beauty.

His biggest fear is being forgotten. Hers is of not being able to do something truly great.

So as he's goofing off with his friends or performing some strange routine for the Camp's pleasure, he is thinking of her, sitting in her cabin, shining darkly. And as she is reading a fantasy novel —because apparently her life isn't bizarre enough — she is thinking of how perfectly he would fit into this novel as the hero.

And so boy fell in love with girl, girl fell on top of boy —no one said children of Hades have to be blessed with agility, did they? — but it was only the beginning.

Dating is awkward. Dating is more awkward if you're a teen. Dating is even more awkward if you're a demigod. There are not words to describe how awkward it is for a teenage demigod child of Apollo to date a teenage demigod child of Hades.

Their first date is actually quite smooth. That is, until the Chimera attacked.

Now imagine what happened on their wedding day.

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**I kept this short because I knew I'd ruin it if I didn't. Loosely based off a summary of The Jessamine Riot's. :D**

**OHEY. It's AU; Bianca never became a Hunter/died, Lee never died, and it's set after TLO.**

**For Theia; Merry Christmas!**


	4. The Midnight Doe

I'm doing it. I'm here. I'm _really_ here. I'm really fighting Luke. No, wait — I'm fighting Kronos. Kronos in Luke's body. That's not weird at all. How do they go to the bathroom? Oh, right. I'm supposed to be _fighting._

I swing the sword again. So does he. Celestial bronze meets gold. Showers of sparks rain down on me. I don't know what I'm doing here. Why did I think I could fight _Kronos? _Oh, gods, I'm going to die. Civilization is going to end, Kronos will rule, and it's going to be all my fault. Kronos will rule.

_Don't think like that, Percy._

Oh, wonderful. My father decides to place his input.

_Where are you, Dad? We need you. _I _need you._

Silence. My body is moving almost automatically. Move here to block, there to strike. I remember the trick that Luke taught me in training back when I was twelve. Looking straight into his face — or Kronos's — I can remember that day clearly. It was before my dad claimed me. I was so confused, so scared. I wanted to know who my father was, but I wanted to know where my mother was more. Luke — that had definitely been Luke, right? — had pushed me so far, with such force. I wonder if he ever thought that I'd use the move against him — or Kronos. I'm so confused right now.

I try the move. Kronos is too fast; he knows what I'm going to do before I do. Could Titans read minds? Probably. Good going, Jackson. You're fighting someone who knows what you're going to do. That's smart.

I can feel myself weakening every second. I think back to that day at camp again — the water had been so refreshing, so reviving. I look around the throne room, hoping that my dad keeps a fish tank near his throne or something.

I'll admit that that distracts me. Kronos uses this to his advantage.

At first, I don't realize what's happened. All I recall is at first is a sharp pain opposite my abdomen. Then I lose all conscious thoughts. I'm just standing there, a body disconnected from the rest of the universe. My hands fly to my stomach, to the tip of the sword protuding from it, and I feel the wet clothes. As I pull my hands up to my face, all I see is crimson. Black spots appear in my vision. I feel dizzy.

Grover and Annabeth reach me. Annabeth is screaming, crying. Grover is trying to calm her down and get me safely on the ground. I wave him away. I can feel my soul stretching, pulling away from my very essence. I've felt this before, only now it's magnified. I reach down and pull the scythe from my stomach. It's not as if it matters, anyway. I'm dying.

It gets harder to breathe. I can feel my soul ripping from my body now. And then, as quickly as it began, it's over.

I'm floating over New York City. _My _New York City. I've found my home in the streets, except not really. I'm aware that I'm not here in physical form. It's just my soul, flying above the city streets.

Things are changing. I can tell. Things are becoming golden. Temples are rising. I can hear Kronos laughing — probably over my limp, lifeless body. Then suddenly, I'm with him and…me. I can see the hole where his scythe tore through me, in the only spot that could harm me. Annabeth and Grover aren't there. I don't want to think about what's happening to them.

The Titans all flash in. It doesn't bother me. I guess that it's only your physical form it affects.

It's as if the gods never existed. Thousands upon thousands of years or reversing progress is occurring. The world is free and wild, and I can't help but think that maybe this can be a fresh start.

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**Oheyoh. My _first_ attempt at first person. Whoo.**

**Thanks to Theia 47 for betaing.**

**Merry belated Christmas, Tay~!**


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